Blind Hate
by Hammy2000
Summary: Prince Henry awakes to find Danielle missing, but the kidnappers are about to reveal a secret of Queen Marie's past. My first fan fiction, please r
1. Prologue

"Love has the power to blind any man of all reason, a man in love will act with his heart, and not with his brain."  
"Yes, sir, you still have not told me what this has to do with anything."  
The two bandits spoke in hushed voices outside the palace walls in the early hours of the morning, not wanting to disturb anyone. They did not wish for any ears to fall upon their conversation, with the exception of their own.  
"Hannah, Prince Henry just got married, with every passing day his passion for his wife slowly dies, although he does not realize it yet. Now is the best time to strike if we are to get our money's worth."  
"My dear Charles, you are not serious when you say passion dies with each passing day, we have been married for seven years."  
Charles wrapped his hard cracked hands around his wife, "milady, all passion dies, and ours is no exception." She leaned over to kiss him, but taunting her, as he often did, he pulled away, pretending he did not know what she wanted.  
"So, pray tell, what is the plan?"  
"The plan is, once Danielle is ours, the Prince will be at our mercy and so will be every piece of gold that the Palace holds."  
She flipped her blonde locks, her greasy hair had not prevented her from being beautiful under the moonlight, her face was beginning to age, and life was beginning to take a toll on twenty three year old Hannah, years of hard labour had finally paid off, for she would soon be living the life that every girl dreamed of, yet so few experienced. 


	2. The Missing Princess

When Prince Henry awoke, he felt Danielle's warm body up against his own, her head resting on his chest. He watched her in silence, absorbing her rhythmic breathing.  
"Oh, my sweat Danielle," he said quietly, "you are my masterpiece, De Vince could not have done better." He kissed her ear, and rested his eyes, not wanting to wake his new bride. But instead, he wished to enjoy these moments they had together, the ones they shared and would always cherish.  
A low knocking interrupted his thoughts, "may I enter, sire?" One of the palace servants was at the door, this gave Henry a delightful idea, "yes, you may enter, sir, but do so quietly."  
A small man with red hair and hazel eyes entered, his hands were rough and cracked with work. He began to gather clothing to be washed, when Prince Henry cleared his throat.  
"Sir, please, that is not necessary, but if you could, go and have the chef cook some breakfast in bed, if you will."  
The servant bowed, "though, sire, I must warn you, the King and Queen are in a fowl mood. They wish for you to join them at once, it shall not take long."  
Henry sighed loudly, not wanting to leave Danielle, though she was sleeping so peacefully, he felt reassured that she would stay in her slumber until he returned to her side. Heaving a heavy sigh, Henry arose from bed, and allowed his tenants to clothe him.  
When he arrived downstairs, he took a quick glance around, "alright, mother, father, please make it quick!" He said loudly.  
Waiting for half a minute for a reply, a suspicious feeling began to grow in the pit of his stomach. Swiftly and quietly, he made his way to his mother's paradise, her garden.  
There was a lace table clothe with woven delicate designs, which lay upon one of the garden's silver four person table. His mother's finest porcelain tea set and sitting on it, along with three matching teacups. He scanned the gardening area slowly, ensuring that he did not miss a single nook, but alas, nothing, no trace of human life was to be seen.  
Growing impatient and irritated with this interruption, Henry made no haste in returning to his wife. Nothing could be closer to perfection. With grace, beauty and charm, Henry was surprised that he was even lucky enough to find such a lady before another man had.  
He firmly regretted thinking that seconds after the thought had raced through his mind. For, another man had attempted to steal Danielle's heart, though unsuccessfully, Henry still feared what had happened during the small period of time when Danielle had worked, unwillingly, for Monsieur Le Pieu. She never spoke of that time, and Henry could always see the hurt in her eyes whenever he brought up the subject. Now he was just avoiding the topic altogether, something, he feared, may have a lasting effect on Danielle's emotions.  
He re entered his bedchamber, ready to crawl back beside his perfect match before they were actually summoned downstairs. His bedchamber had become his sanctuary, but upon entering, there was something missing.  
"Danielle," he said, his voice barely a whisper. Without Danielle resting in peace in her bed, his sanctuary became nothing more then a prison, which, before his life with Danielle, he had tried to escape from, on several occasions.  
He searched high and low, ever square inch of the bedroom before he was convinced she was not there, now thoughts were scurrying through his mind, like unwanted rats. He could no longer contain himself, he collapsed onto the bed and screamed in agony into his pillow, the muffled noises, however, did not travel far. Broken sobs filled the air, and soon his pillow was wet with salty tears of pain.  
  
Danielle awoke several hours later, with her eyes still closed, she felt around her trying to find her husband, but to no prevail. Finally, she opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. She bolted upwards, "what on earth is going on?" She screamed, "where am I, where is Henry." She found herself in a small torn carriage, drawn by two old, retired horses; sitting beside her was a vulgar man, and an equally vulgar woman. "Calm yourself, milady, there is no reason to worry," the woman attempted a soothing voice, but did not succeed, "we wish you no harm." She added, bashfully. "You have taken me from my home, and away from the people I love most, and yet to tell me that there is no need to worry, how, may I inquire, can I stumble upon such logic?" Her voice was growing more and more desperate with each word spoken, her syllables rotting of distaste and anger. The fowl lady attempted to touch Danielle's face, as if to calm her, but before her greasy finger's came within an inch of Danielle's fair and tender skin, the man spoke, "Hannah, do not scare the child to death, in order to follow through with our plan, she must be alive." "Yes, milord," Hannah said quietly, ashamed of her actions. "How very reassuring," Danielle's voice dripped with sarcasm and distain.  
The last thing Danielle saw after that comment was the man's angry expression on his face, and his eyes were those of a heartless thug. His fist was raised three feet from her face, and all went black, as the hand came crashing down to put her into a restless sleep.  
  
Henry dashed around, but there was absolutely no sign of his mother or father, this was absurd, with each passing moment he began to worry more and more of his young wife.  
"Captain Laurent!" His voice fell to deaf ear, "captain Laurent, I order you to my side immediately!" But not even the future King of France could conduct orders to a person who was not around to hear them.  
The castle was a deathly silent, he felt as though he was the only one in the entire world; everyone else had simply just disappeared. This worried him; there were many thieves out there, heartless fiends desperate to do anything to get their hands on his family's royal jewels, but who would go so far? Did they not know, that if they were to be found, which they most certainly would be, the punishment would be death? Who could risk their life over something as trivial as a piece of gold?  
Footsteps interrupted the Prince's thoughts, they were growing heavier with every passing second, sending jolts of happiness through his entire body, flooding his emotions with an indescribable joy.  
"Henry, what was all that yelling?" The voice belonged to that of his father.  
"Father, she's missing." He paused, putting all the facts together, and resumed, on a different train of thought, "father, it is nearly noon, have you just awakened?"  
King Francis looked startled to learn the news of the time, he could not remember the last time he had stayed in bed for half of the day, even the night that Henry was conceived, he had still awoken with the sun.  
Unable to accept this, Francis shook his head, "no, son, you are delirious, what are you doing away from the Princess?"  
Now Henry was enraged. He was a man, not a child. He had a wife; he was a married man, no longer the child that Francis had once known. "Father!" He spat, "I told you, she is gone, I must send out the guard to search for her, to bring her back!"  
The King stood there momentarily, trying to make sense of this information. Logic was not an ally in the current events. For the first time in years, he had no answer to offer his son, no advice.  
"Find her, Henry, it is only with the Princess here, that we can make sense of this entire matter," he said in a gruff whisper.  
"But father, who would do such a thing? To kidnap a Princess, that is idiotic! He must have been born with half a brain to do such a thing so, so awful!"  
"I know Henry, I know." The King laid a comforting hand on his son's shoulder, to ease the pain, "we will find them, and punish them, do not worry."  
The Queen stood in silence outside the room where her son and husband conversed. A silent tear ran down her cheeks, but she would shed no more for this tragic matter. She had heard the entire conversation, and a buried memory came flooding back to her. She knew something, something that could not be spoken aloud, but had to be heard. 


	3. A Royal Surprise

Danielle awoke several hours later; it took her a moment to remember what had happened to her and to realize that her head was throbbing with unbearable pain. Their surroundings had changed from the old tattered carriage, to a small cottage in the middle of the wood. No paths were in sight, and the trees grew so thick, the sky was barely visible.  
"Milady has finally decided to awaken from her peaceful slumber," the man grinned and handed Danielle a cup filled with water.  
"Indeed," she replied stiffly, and took the water from his hands gratefully.  
He looked at her as she drank the water, in quick gulps, not savouring the liquid, she was thirsty, he thought. He hesitated, but could hardly contain himself. "My wife Hannah, well, she left only ten minutes ago, she will be gone for at least an hour."  
At this comment, Danielle suddenly straightened her back, now aware of her situation. She listened closely, not daring to speak.  
Charles drew lines with his finger around Danielle's back, moving his finger seductively, slowly it moved across her back, and downwards.  
"Please sir, do not do something rash, that you shall later regret," Danielle said, in hopes that it would scare him away, or at the very least, intimidate him.  
"My dear Danielle," he whispered softly into her ear, "I have lived long, and there is nothing I regret." He pressed his lips gently against her ear, and moved began to burry his face into her neck.  
Danielle was beginning to panic as she tried to free her self from the filthy man, but found that her hands and feet were bond together, as she struggled with her upper body, it only provoked Charles to wrap his arms around her stomach, and kiss her more deeply only as few inches lower than her collar bone.  
"I demand that you keep your distance between us, sir," said Danielle in a royal voice.  
"And what if I refuse?" He asked, sticking his tongue in her ear playfully.  
"I shall have you hung, however, if you were to return me to my home in France, I will reward you dearly, and you shall not be harmed."  
Charles looked deep into his eyes at this comment. They where hypnotic and beautiful. They showed wisdom and hardship. Her face was fair, and her hair was that of an auburn brown, thick and soft to the touch. He loved Hannah, but no woman he had ever laid his eyes on was more beautiful than Danielle.  
"Milady," he said, kissing her neck, "I did not take you away for gold, but for a much more.rewarding gift."  
"And what would that be, my husband would deliver it to you the moment I am safely returned," Danielle promised again.  
"This prize cannot be delivered by your Prince, only from the Queen," he said dryly, tracing his rough hands around every inch of her body until she broke down in quiet sobs.  
  
Henry sat in a chair out on the terrace, his head in his hands, deep in thought, trying to absorb his father's plan of action.  
"Now," he continued, "we send our men east west north and south, send a messenger to England, telling them of our dilemma," he paused and looked at his son, who sat there motionless.  
"Henry-"  
"Don't," Henry cut off his father. A guilty pit was slowly eating again at his interiors. He had left her alone, why was it, that in all his life of disobedience, he chose now to obey orders? If only he hadn't left her, there would have been no opportunity to steal her away, right from underneath his nose. They had no idea who could have done this, they knew nothing, it seemed almost hopeless.  
Francis left Henry alone, and walked towards his wife. "How is he doing?" she asked, concerned.  
"Not well," Francis trailed off for a few moments before continuing, "Marie.if Danielle - if she's not found, shall we consider the marriage contract to Spain?"  
Marie shook her head stiffly, "don't say such things, we need to find her Francis, we just need to!"  
Henry watched his parents speak silent words. He could not make out what they were saying, and every once in awhile his mother would make an unearthly noise. None of this made any sense to him. If indeed the thieves were looking for money, wouldn't they have sent a messenger by now? What was keeping them, what did they want with Danielle?  
He stumbled to his feet, and made his way to the dining room.  
When he was very little, his father had showed him the secret entrances and exits of the castle, in case of an emergency, and they needed to escape quickly, without being seen. Fortunately Henry had never had to use these passages; nevertheless, he still remembered how to operate them.  
He stayed close to the palace walls, the hard stone was more relaxing then going past his parents and having to explain to them where he was going. He counted carefully, feeling for the loose stone that would lead him into the castle. Within minutes of scooping the walls, his parents had fallen out of sight, and he felt a cold rock move as his hand pushed up against it. The rock moved effortlessly, leaving a small hole, big enough for Henry to crawl through. He entered complete darkness, and felt around him. In the small tunnel, there was enough room for him to stand, but not much else.  
He could see at a light at the end, and made his way. As his feet dragged along the stone ground, he felt his foot kick something, something that was not a rock. Bending down, he felt around with his hand, he was about to continue, and then his fingers came to rest on a piece of scroll. Picking it up, he put it in his pocket, curious who would have written something, and then hidden it here.  
He soon reached the entrance to the dinning room, pushing the large loose brick away slowly, looked around to ensure no one was around. When he felt assured that no one would see his entrance through the secret passageway, he crawled out of the musky tunnel into a more pleasant atmosphere, making his way to the stable.  
There were a variety of horses to choose from, elegant graceful mares, to strong and wilful stallions. But none Henry trusted more with his life than his very own bay Arabian stallion. It was a smaller horse, only fifteen hands, but it was fast and smart. He looked at an assortment of saddles, choosing a lighter one. After hoisting the small saddle onto the horses back, Henry began to decide on a bridle to use. The bits of the bridles varied, some were for stronger horses, who needed to be controlled, others were intended for horses that needed to move quickly, without much strain on their mouth. After a few minutes of contemplation, he chose a simple bit that would not be too harsh on his bay's mouth.  
He gently pressed the bit into the horse's mouth, and clipped everything together, in record time, he had his horse saddled, bridled, and ready to ride. He put his left foot in the stirrup, and lifted himself up onto the back, squeezing gently with his ankles, he urged him forward, out of the stable.  
Henry rode hard for several hours, looking for signs of Danielle, but found nothing. It was getting dark, and he stopped his horse in an open field to look around.  
There was a small farmhouse to his left, he could possibly stay there for the night, and return to his search in the morning. He squeezed gently with his heels, and the stallion began a gentle walk towards the house.  
He stood quietly at the door for a few moments, gathering his courage. He was unsure where he was, whether he was still in the province, or even in France. It was likely that the owners of this home would not even recognize, but he needed a place to sleep.  
"Hello," said a kind young woman holding a baby in one arm, she had answered the door moments after he had knocked. "Can I help you?" She continued.  
"Yes," he stumbled, "I am on a very important mission, and need a place to sleep for the night."  
"Why, do come in, you must be freezing!" He stepped into the house, and saw her face a bit more clearly. As he came into the light, he could see her face swell with pride and shock, as she descended into a low curtsy  
"Your Highness!" She squealed, and then paused, "but where are your guards? Surely you know, 'tis not safe, gypsies, sire rule this land, and there have been many attacks."  
"I know, but my mission is most unfortunate, and please, call me Henry.  
She smiled at the thought of her, a lowly peasant being on first name terms with his Highness, son of King Francis.  
"Oh, Henry, I shall have my husband fetch your horse and put him in our pasture, and you may come and sit here at the table, have something warm to drink."  
Henry smiled with gratitude. A warm drink did sound appealing.  
"Arthur!" She called, "Arthur, come quickly, you must fetch our visitor's horse and put it with the others!"  
Then she turned to Henry, "ooh, how surprised my husband will be to find you sitting here, at our table! Arthur always said that King Francis was the best thing to happen to France, but in my humble opinion, the best thing to happen to her is your choice in marriage."  
Her eyes twinkled happily. She had heard of the Prince's marriage to a servant. She, Annabelle, had always hated social standing. They heard loud footsteps and turned around.  
"Oh virgin Mary, son of god, Your Highness!" Said Arthur in barely more than a whisper.  
"Please, it's Henry." 


	4. The Letter

Prince Henry felt his side, there was a warm body lying next to him. "Danielle?" He asked softly. "Yes, Henry," she replied her voice soft and inviting.  
"I love you," he said, kissing her ear softly.  
She giggled happily, rubbing the mattress with her hand. Gradually the mattress became less soft, and dirtier, almost as if she were sleeping on-  
Danielle bolted up to find Charles still kissing her ear. "Milady," he murmured softly, "you were so happy."  
"I was asleep you idiot, of course I was happy."  
"Come back to my side, Princess."  
"You would have to kill me first," retorted Danielle, shortly.  
"That can be arranged," said Charles through gritted teeth, drawing his sword.  
"Charles!" Hannah exclaimed, shaking her head sadly, "remember our mission."  
Since Danielle's abduction she had lost track of time. For all she knew, she could have been missing for a month. She had grown rather fond of Hannah, the wife of a peasant, and was beginning to forget the fact that she deeply resented being taken from her husband and home. Charles however was still a filthy disgusting poor excuse for a human being. His hair smelt heavily of ash, and looked as though it might've been blonde when he was a child, but was now a dark shade of brown from filth and vermin. Though the reason for her abduction was still a mystery to Danielle, she felt very safe with them, knowing that they had some type of plan, which only frightened her a slight amount.  
"Hannah," Danielle called, "pray tell, where are we?"  
Hannah smiled, the Princess was a kind person, very forgiving, so much so, that Hannah felt bad for doing this to her, the Prince must miss her dearly. She would love to send her home, if only.  
"Princess, we are still in the province of which you rule, but you see, these are uncharted parts of the forest. They're so thick and deep, not a soul comes by."  
Danielle sighed sadly; all hope of being rescued was slowly dying inside her, "I don't suppose that no one else knows."  
Hannah knew that this place was not a complete secret. Only one other person within the palace walls knew of this place, but this individual would not speak, for she knew the consequences if she did. In reply, Hannah cocked her head slightly, and remained silent.  
  
Prince Henry awoke the next morning thinking of his wife, and how much he missed her. Today he would find her, he just had to, or else his heart would break in a million pieces, and he would die. He got up to put on his breaches, he felt something hard in the pockets and stood still for a few moments, trying to think of what it might be, and then it dawned on him. The scroll he had found in the passageway. He removed in carefully from the pocket, and slowly read it to himself.  
  
They bond my wrists and feet together with an unbreakable thread. How I shudder at the thought of them. I still cannot believe what I offered them for my safe return. They wanted the royal jewels, and I offered them something so much more costly, I offered them something priceless.  
The guilt runs through my veins more heavily then my blood. They beat me with sticks everyday. Four of them, two women, and two men. Both set were married. How I hate them!  
There were two children. Two children who had been betrothed to one another since they were babies.  
I still remember that place like it was just yesterday, no paths, no way of finding that scared garden unless you had been there once before. But I remember.  
An uncharted part of the forest, it can be found only by travelling wilfully into the deepest part of the wood. Each turn must be made wisely; each turn must get you deeper and deeper. Then when you have made your last turn, you must get off the path, travel to where the sun sets, and soon you will find yourself in a clearing. That is where I was taken, that is where you shall find the most precious thing to your heart.  
  
Henry reread the unsigned letter. He could not make out who's writing it was, but decided to follow the letter's instructions.  
He made his way to the dinning room, where a lovely breakfast was being prepared for him. Henry enjoyed the company of this peasant couple, the wife was strong and free, the husband worked hard to keep food on the table.  
He ate quickly, wanting to explore the woods as much as possible. They stared at him as he gobbled down food, and drank the goat's milk in a hurry.  
"Sire," she began, "please, stay for a little while longer."  
"I fear I cannot," said Henry, he would have loved to stay and chat with them, to get to know a real peasant family, but the yearning he felt for Danielle to be in his arms once again this night was so much stronger.  
"When I find my wife, I shall return, we can have a nice chat, the four of us," Henry promised.  
"Oh," he exclaimed, rising from his chair, "marvellous!"  
Henry said a quick goodbye, and mounted his horse. They had saddled and groomed it while he had been dressing himself.  
  
"The Prince found the letter then?" Charles asked Hannah gruffly, while Danielle slept in silence.  
"The scroll is missing from its hiding spot, and the wife of that peasant he stayed with saw him reading it in his bed chamber.  
"Perfect," said Charles happily, "he will be here in no time, and what is rightfully ours shall be restored to us."  
"And the Princess?" Hannah asked. Despite the fact that she liked Danielle, that did not change her social status. She had a royal in her hands, and she would not hesitate to make her feel the pain that she has felt for the past twenty-three years.  
"Anything, so long as she does not return to the palace."  
  
Henry looked at his surroundings. The trees were dark and growing tall. They towered over him as if he was nothing more than a peasant. As the narrow path split in two, Henry weighed his options. Going right would mean going into a darker and more dangerous part, though going left meant going thicker and deeper into these uncharted lands.  
He dismounted his stallion to take a closer look at the paths. As he looked closely at the ground he could feel the softness of Danielle's voice drawing him towards the left.  
  
Danielle sang quietly to herself as she helped them with the cooking.  
  
"Will you quit that?" Demanded Charles, slapping her across her face, leaving a red imprint across her fair cheek.  
Danielle tenderly touched her cheek, and looked at him in shock, her eyes full of sorrow and hurt.  
"I do not understand," said Danielle quietly, "why you would want me, for I am not the key to the royal jewels that you claim you are not after."  
"Oh, but me dear," said Charles, grabbing her throbbing face and pulling it close to his, "you are the key to so much more." And he placed his lips on hers, Danielle was so shocked that she was almost beside herself, except that by now he was holding her down, she could not move nor breathe. The stench of ash was smothering her almost as much as his mouth up against hers was.  
  
Hannah stood in a small clearing for twenty minutes to collect her thoughts. The plan was going accordingly, she knew that Prince Henry would be riding by soon, looking for Danielle, and when he did, she would have to trust herself to do the best job she could possibly do. She felt safe knowing that Danielle and her husband, Charles, were miles away from here, safe and secure, and the letter that had been planted for the Prince to find was going to lead him directly into her trap. 


	5. The Grave

Oy. Sorry, it really has been awhile. Well, before we begin might as well hop on the bandwagon and give you my thoughts, and my lame excuses for not writing. OK, thoughts are: presently I have absolutely no clue where this story is headed, it could end up in Russia for all I know. And now for lame excuses, I have recently recovered from a fairly serious disease called Author's Block. Due to the side effects of the illness, I have been unable to work on my fanfictions, or even on my novel, but I seem to be cured for the present. And now without further ado, the story (no, I changed my mind, this AN was so well thought out and brilliantly put together that I decided that you don't really need to read the story, but if you must then scroll down.) Swinging his legs back on the steed, Henry urged him forwards, gently applying pressure to the horse's sides. He drove it left, as his heart led him towards his true destination, he prayed for her.  
  
"The fire, milady is warm and inviting." Indeed it was, thought Danielle, but the idea of staying away from Charles as much as possible was even more promising than warmth.  
  
"Hannah will not be home for awhile, I assure you," he said suggestively. "She is off in a clearing, the Prince will soon ride past her, yes my dear, he has been trying to find you for quite some time." He said, looking as Danielle's face instantly lit alight at the thought of being rescued. "Milady," moving closer as he spoke, "when the prince rides to the clearing," still moving closer, "she, my lovely bride," she could smell his breath, "will convince him that you are, dead," taste his breath.  
  
He grabbed her chin viciously, and forces her on her knees. "You listen closely," he snarled, "Queen Marie will pay for her past by watching her son slowly deteriorate from pain and guilt that only, if only he hadn't left you alone, you would still be alive." His voice spoke is a rough whisper, scratching his throat, hurting Danielle's ears.  
  
Henry's heart fell as he came upon a small clearing. This was not right, it was neither thicker, nor as dangerous as he had expected, and had been promised by the letter. But something caught his eye, a slight grunt, escaping from a foul, yet somehow delicate creature.  
  
"Yes, sir, how may I be of service?" She asked politely, as he rode towards her.  
  
Henry took a quick glance at what lay below her feet, horror struck, realized that it was a grave, perhaps two heads shorter then him.  
  
"Ah, she was a beautiful girl, sir," said the woman, taking notice of his quizzical stares regarding the grave.  
  
Henry nodded, prodding her on, "I found her dead, 'ere," she said pointing to a tree off to the far left. "Her body still in excellent shape, 'cept it was cold, dead as could be. She had auburn hair, beautiful creature." The peasant woman sighed again.  
  
After a long conversation with the woman, Henry had no doubt left in his mind that the girl that the peasant had described was indeed Danielle. "Oh, Danielle," he thought, "what will I ever do without you?"  
  
The peasant had long since left, going in the direction of the tree where she had found his wife. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms once again, and without hesitation he grabbed a stick off of a tree, and held it like he would Danielle. He held it like he had held her the day of his wedding, the day when he retrieved her from the palms of Monsieur Lepieu.  
  
"Oh Danielle," he whispered, emotion overwhelming him, forcing him to drop the stick, and it lay beside the grave, in a perfect parallel line.  
  
Hannah returned to the camp site, feeling somewhat sorry for Danielle, not even being able to imagine what she must be going through. She never would see her Prince again, never feel him in her arms.  
  
By the time she returned it was near dark, and the hostage and her husband were curled up sleeping by the fire. She curled up to her husbands left, and quickly falling asleep.  
  
Danielle awoke and it was still night, and dark figure towered over top of her, and she squinted to see who it was, but her efforts were futile. He leaned in and kissed her, hard and soft. This was too much for Danielle, his wife was right next to him.  
  
"Charles," she screamed, "get off of me," and she pushed him away, and prepared herself to return to a serene slumber, not wanting to think of the consequences of her actions.  
  
"I wasn't even awake," Charles snarled, still beside her, "but I am now!" He leapt up and drew his sword, but not a soul was in sight, "who goes there, I demand you show yourself!" Charles screamed, terror filled his voice. By now the trio were wide awake, fully prepared for the worst.  
  
"I do," the voice replied, and a figure emerged from the shadows.  
  
"Henry," Danielle yelped happily and ran to his arms.  
  
He held her close to his heart as he promised he would, for this truly was a gift from God to have her back again  
  
A sharp point touched Danielle's back, and she spun around. The sword, now pointed at her chest was being wielded by Hannah, not the suspected Charles.  
  
"Tell your Prince to leave you Danielle, and never return, or he truly will be standing next to your grave." 


End file.
